Brooklyn11218
Active Member
A new generation complete with a slew of new Pokémon. Pokémon Black/White has all the greatness of the previous titles with some great (and not so great) additions. Smoother graphics, new camera angles, new stones, new battles, and much more.
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[/float]Graphics - 10/10
The graphics, while still in the same birds-eye view that we’re used to, are much smoother and crisper. Furthermore, there are areas in the game that will give a totally new viewpoint to the Pokémon world. One such example is the large cities (1 in white, 2 in black) which give a more realistic size comparison between the character sprites and the actual buildings. There are alleys and streets you can run up where the camera changes directly behind the character’s back giving you an on the ground point of view. Another adjustment to the camera angle is on the 4 or so bridges scattered through on the Unova region. Each one has a different camera angle and each is beautifully integrated into the gameplay so none of them seem out of place. Additionally, anime style cut scenes have been intersected to key plot points in the story, giving you a more personal connection with the characters.
Story - 7/10
I will not go deep into the storyline here, because 1. I don’t want to give any spoilers, and 2. It’s basically the same: Go collect 8 badges and fight the elite four while thwarting the bad guys in the process. Fundamentally, you start off in a small town, where you and your two companions - yes two this time, one gets the element superior of the Pokémon you chose and the other gets the inferior - get starter Pokémon and you begin your journey. The main antagonists this time are Team Plasma, whose main goal is to liberate all Pokémon from trainers because they believe it is morally wrong to pit them against each other. Which in itself touches on the very real subject of animal fighting, but as this is a kid’s game I will not delve into it. I will however tell you about some of the changes in gameplay which were most noticeable to me. First thing that immediately caught my eye was the lack of those retarded berry trees. While berries are still a part of the game, in black/white you get them from fellow trainers after defeating them in battle as opposed to picking them off trees and planting them yourself. Good riddance I say. Two more additions which I feel like Pokémon fans worldwide have been begging for for years are multiple registered items, and everlasting TMs.
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[/float]Gameplay - 9/10
We’ve all had to go through the items menu for like 5 minutes searching for that one key item we needed because, like everyone else in the world, the only item we had registered was the bike. In this new installation, you can have more than one item registered to your Y button at a time. Pressing the Y button opens up a sub menu where you can quickly choose from the items you have chosen for immediate access. Not only does this cut back on the tediousness of delving into the items menu, but it vastly improves the gaming experience for everyone.
As for the everlasting TMs, there isn’t much to say other than they are awesome. I’ve always wondered how a machine (TM stands for Technical machine) can break after teaching a Pokémon a move once. Now you can use your TMs as many times as you wish, teaching all your Pokémon the same move if that is your desire. This in my opinion makes TMs better than HMs because not only do TMs contain better moves, but they don’t need a move delete to replace them. In theory, if you collect every TM, you could tailor your Pokémon’s moves before each battle, making you an unstoppable force.
Battle mechanics are pretty much the same but with the addition of 2 new modes of battling that make it that more difficult for the veteran trainer. The new battle modes are called 3-way battles and rotation battles. 3-way battles are self-explanatory; you throw out 3 Pokémon each and battle. The catch is that only the Pokémon in the center can attack all 3 of the opponent’s Pokémon. The ones on the ends can only hit 2, the center and whichever one corresponds with the side they are on, left or right. Rotation battles are a bit trickier. As in the 3-way you send 3 Pokémon into battle, but only one can attack at a time. Where the rotation comes in is that before attacking, you have the option to rotate your Pokémon to the left or to the right and have the new Pokémon attack. The rotation happens before any Pokémon attack and does not cost you a turn like swapping would. But it makes it that more difficult to match up types for super effective attacks when every turn Pokémon are rotating in and out of battle.
Other small but still noticeable changes battle-wise are new attack animations, an improved design for the commands and the “would you like to switch your Pokémon?” prompt now takes up a full screen so you don’t accidentally miss it and stare at the ds for 30 seconds waiting for something to happen. Changes in actual gameplay are very small and most are not worth mentioning. My favorite change though is when you are running on the world map, depending on the area you are in you will see grass shake, water bubble up, or a dust cloud form. Running into the area prompts battle with a wild Pokémon that is considered "uncommon."
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[/float]Cons
Now for the bad stuff. The cons of the game aren’t huge, but they do get annoying. In particular is the way the set up the new multi key items. One of the key items you receive is called the “Dowsing Machine” which is similar to the item finder in previous games. It’s far superior to the item finder though, because you don’t have to use it manually, it stays open on the bottom screen of your ds and beeps whenever you’re near an item. Where they went wrong however, is in order to access the main menu, you’re forced to close out of the Dowsing Machine first. It gets tedious having to remember to reactivate it after every rummage through the item bag. Another thing that bothered me was a slight change in poisoned status. The afflicted Pokémon remains poisoned but no longer sustains damage when on the world map. I’m sure a lot of fans will welcome this change but I preferred it the old way. Lastly, and this is more of a pet peeve than a con, is how annoying it is to have two rivals. It seems like they threw them in there at the last second, because every other route one or both of them stop you and demands a battle for the most inane reasons.
All in all, the game is very well done and it welcomes both new players and Pokémon masters. It keeps the basic structure that we all know and love but changes enough so that it doesn’t feel like you’re just replaying an old Pokémon game. And even better, this one unlocks more cities/areas to explore after you beat the elite four. So instead of just putting the game down after finishing the main storyline, you’ll feel compelled to continue it. Maybe even catch them all.
Final Score - 9/10
[float=left]
The graphics, while still in the same birds-eye view that we’re used to, are much smoother and crisper. Furthermore, there are areas in the game that will give a totally new viewpoint to the Pokémon world. One such example is the large cities (1 in white, 2 in black) which give a more realistic size comparison between the character sprites and the actual buildings. There are alleys and streets you can run up where the camera changes directly behind the character’s back giving you an on the ground point of view. Another adjustment to the camera angle is on the 4 or so bridges scattered through on the Unova region. Each one has a different camera angle and each is beautifully integrated into the gameplay so none of them seem out of place. Additionally, anime style cut scenes have been intersected to key plot points in the story, giving you a more personal connection with the characters.
Story - 7/10
I will not go deep into the storyline here, because 1. I don’t want to give any spoilers, and 2. It’s basically the same: Go collect 8 badges and fight the elite four while thwarting the bad guys in the process. Fundamentally, you start off in a small town, where you and your two companions - yes two this time, one gets the element superior of the Pokémon you chose and the other gets the inferior - get starter Pokémon and you begin your journey. The main antagonists this time are Team Plasma, whose main goal is to liberate all Pokémon from trainers because they believe it is morally wrong to pit them against each other. Which in itself touches on the very real subject of animal fighting, but as this is a kid’s game I will not delve into it. I will however tell you about some of the changes in gameplay which were most noticeable to me. First thing that immediately caught my eye was the lack of those retarded berry trees. While berries are still a part of the game, in black/white you get them from fellow trainers after defeating them in battle as opposed to picking them off trees and planting them yourself. Good riddance I say. Two more additions which I feel like Pokémon fans worldwide have been begging for for years are multiple registered items, and everlasting TMs.
[float=right]
We’ve all had to go through the items menu for like 5 minutes searching for that one key item we needed because, like everyone else in the world, the only item we had registered was the bike. In this new installation, you can have more than one item registered to your Y button at a time. Pressing the Y button opens up a sub menu where you can quickly choose from the items you have chosen for immediate access. Not only does this cut back on the tediousness of delving into the items menu, but it vastly improves the gaming experience for everyone.
As for the everlasting TMs, there isn’t much to say other than they are awesome. I’ve always wondered how a machine (TM stands for Technical machine) can break after teaching a Pokémon a move once. Now you can use your TMs as many times as you wish, teaching all your Pokémon the same move if that is your desire. This in my opinion makes TMs better than HMs because not only do TMs contain better moves, but they don’t need a move delete to replace them. In theory, if you collect every TM, you could tailor your Pokémon’s moves before each battle, making you an unstoppable force.
Battle mechanics are pretty much the same but with the addition of 2 new modes of battling that make it that more difficult for the veteran trainer. The new battle modes are called 3-way battles and rotation battles. 3-way battles are self-explanatory; you throw out 3 Pokémon each and battle. The catch is that only the Pokémon in the center can attack all 3 of the opponent’s Pokémon. The ones on the ends can only hit 2, the center and whichever one corresponds with the side they are on, left or right. Rotation battles are a bit trickier. As in the 3-way you send 3 Pokémon into battle, but only one can attack at a time. Where the rotation comes in is that before attacking, you have the option to rotate your Pokémon to the left or to the right and have the new Pokémon attack. The rotation happens before any Pokémon attack and does not cost you a turn like swapping would. But it makes it that more difficult to match up types for super effective attacks when every turn Pokémon are rotating in and out of battle.
Other small but still noticeable changes battle-wise are new attack animations, an improved design for the commands and the “would you like to switch your Pokémon?” prompt now takes up a full screen so you don’t accidentally miss it and stare at the ds for 30 seconds waiting for something to happen. Changes in actual gameplay are very small and most are not worth mentioning. My favorite change though is when you are running on the world map, depending on the area you are in you will see grass shake, water bubble up, or a dust cloud form. Running into the area prompts battle with a wild Pokémon that is considered "uncommon."
[float=left]
Now for the bad stuff. The cons of the game aren’t huge, but they do get annoying. In particular is the way the set up the new multi key items. One of the key items you receive is called the “Dowsing Machine” which is similar to the item finder in previous games. It’s far superior to the item finder though, because you don’t have to use it manually, it stays open on the bottom screen of your ds and beeps whenever you’re near an item. Where they went wrong however, is in order to access the main menu, you’re forced to close out of the Dowsing Machine first. It gets tedious having to remember to reactivate it after every rummage through the item bag. Another thing that bothered me was a slight change in poisoned status. The afflicted Pokémon remains poisoned but no longer sustains damage when on the world map. I’m sure a lot of fans will welcome this change but I preferred it the old way. Lastly, and this is more of a pet peeve than a con, is how annoying it is to have two rivals. It seems like they threw them in there at the last second, because every other route one or both of them stop you and demands a battle for the most inane reasons.
All in all, the game is very well done and it welcomes both new players and Pokémon masters. It keeps the basic structure that we all know and love but changes enough so that it doesn’t feel like you’re just replaying an old Pokémon game. And even better, this one unlocks more cities/areas to explore after you beat the elite four. So instead of just putting the game down after finishing the main storyline, you’ll feel compelled to continue it. Maybe even catch them all.
Final Score - 9/10
